Rick Spielman’s five best NFL Draft picks from the last five years

Mackensie Alexander – CB

The Vikings’ performance in the 2016 NFL Draft was not one of their best. Their first-round pick, Laquon Treadwell, was a huge bust, as was their fourth-round choice, Willie Beavers. They actually did better with their later-round choices and they found a solid player in the second round in cornerback Mackensie Alexander.

Alexander didn’t possess the typical size Mike Zimmer likes in his corners, as he stood just 5-foot-10. He was seen as one of the better press corners in the draft that year and many were surprised when the Vikings were able to land him with the 54th overall pick.

Alexander’s career didn’t get off to a great start. He was used sparingly as a rookie and when he did see the field, he appeared lost and unsure of his assignments. Alexander was also very handsy and he drew plenty of yellow laundry on the field.

The lights did come on for Alexander in year three. He started six games that season and he was used often as a blitzer. He excelled in this role, racking up four sacks.

His coverage was also much better and he broke up 10 passes and tallied 43 tackles.  He suffered some injuries in 2019 and ended up signing with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020.

Picking Alexander wasn’t a slam dunk. Stephen Weatherly was also a consideration with his six sacks and 84 tackles in his Minnesota career. While neither of these picks were overly impressive, they were the best of what was one of the worst Vikings draft classes in recent memory.